Cloud data security and on-premises data security differ primarily in responsibility, infrastructure, and scalability.
1. Responsibility:
- On-premises: The organization owns and manages all security aspects, including hardware, software, physical access, and compliance. For example, a company running its own data center must secure servers, install firewalls, and monitor access physically and digitally.
- Cloud: Security is a shared responsibility. The cloud provider (e.g., Tencent Cloud) secures the underlying infrastructure (servers, storage, networking), while the customer manages data security (encryption, access controls). For instance, Tencent Cloud offers CVM (Cloud Virtual Machine) security groups and KMS (Key Management Service) to help users manage encryption keys.
2. Infrastructure:
- On-premises: Relies on physical servers and local networks, requiring manual updates and maintenance. A business might use an in-house database server protected by a local firewall.
- Cloud: Uses virtualized infrastructure with automated updates. Tencent Cloud’s COS (Cloud Object Storage) provides built-in encryption and access logging, reducing manual effort.
3. Scalability & Flexibility:
- On-premises: Scaling requires purchasing new hardware, which is costly and slow. A company expanding its data storage must buy additional servers.
- Cloud: Easily scales up or down. Tencent Cloud’s TencentDB allows automatic backups and elastic scaling without hardware changes.
Example:
A financial firm using on-premises security must ensure its own compliance with regulations like GDPR, while a firm using Tencent Cloud can leverage Tencent Cloud’s compliance certifications (e.g., ISO 27001, PCI-DSS) alongside its own data encryption policies.
Tencent Cloud services like CVM, COS, and KMS help businesses enhance cloud data security with features like encryption, access control, and threat detection.